Redslider with swollen eyes

[amaksoud]

Originally Posted by Kirkie

Ok so natural sunlight should not be a problem you just cant use a glass tank. Anything that holds water will do for now. A big plastic tray, a childs paddling pool.

You'll have to trust me on the cod liver oil on the swollen eye lids, it works and its harmless.

It's not you that I don't trust, I don't trust myself hurting her while doing that

Anyway, I think I will wait and see how things go with her tomorrow and get the cod liver oil and try that.

I've e-mailed a couple of pet stores to check for UV bulbs and waiting for their reply.

[amaksoud]

Updates:

I was trying to apply Maxitrol yesterday and while holding her, I noticed that the shell is soft.

I searched for vets and I was able to find one today so I went to him, I knew from the internet that this would be Calcium & vit D3 deficiency, he gave her a shot of them and gave me a bottle of the same treatment to be put into the water so that when she drink water, it will benefit from it.

I'm planning to put her in a plastic container and expose her to direct sunlight early in the morning but I fear from the high temperature over here, which can get as high as 40C at 9 or 8AM. Will it hurt her ? How much time should I expose her to sunlight in these extreme temperatures ?

@ Kirkie: I forgot all about the pellets ingredients, I will get it soon.

I also bought some other pellet brand today, I think it was called tetra, I also bought dried shrimps to provide her with some protein but I can't recall the brand.

It has been long since she ate, last time was around 2 weeks ago, I can't get her to eat anything, I tried pellets, cucumber and lettuce but she refused to eat at all. Any recommendations for that ?

[Kirkie]

40C is pushing it if the turtle isn't going into the water by itself. It doesn't need to be long exposure just good quality expose to UV light (sunlight). This turtle can't regulate its own temperature, you'll have to assist it. Early morning or evening sunlight would be ok. The soft shell is another symptom of a sick, malnourished turtle.

Its not going to eat whilst the eyes are shut. It has to eat in water and its blindness means it doesn't have the confidence to enter the water.
The eyes need sorting out, soon. Did the vet give you any advice?

Tetra turtle pellets should be ok. They manufacture the reptomin pellet in the uk, one of the best pellets.

[amaksoud]

Thanks once again,

malnourished, makes sense, she didn't eat for almost 2 weeks now.

the vet just gave her that shot and gave me a bottle of the same to pour into water on a daily basis so while she drinks she gets some calcium and vit D3.

I noticed today while I was going to the vet that with the container vibrating, she opened her eyes almost in full. As soon as the vibrations disappear, she closed them again, this happened several times.

Also as soon as I apply Maxitrol, she wipes it away for the second day in a raw.

I'll try rubbing cod liver oil tomorrow.

[amaksoud]

Hi Kirkie

The pellets I used to feed them on is called ocean free, under typical analysis it's written as follows 28% protein, 9.5% Crude ash, 3% fat, 6.5% moisture
Ingredients : high grade fish meal, shrimp meal, minerals, yeast, enzyme, protein, vitamin complex, algae meal, calcium, krill, soybean meal, special immune substance, mollusks and crustaceans.

Another pellets brand called Aquafin, 35 protein, 3 fat, 10 fiber, 10 moisture
Almost same ingredients but they added the following, fish oil, wheat meal

Both brands are Chinese ones so I began to doubt if they are supplying the needed supplement.

The Tetra pack was for the dried shrimps.

The sick turtle is still in the same problem.

I put Maxitrol again today and she wiped it in few seconds.

A few minutes ago I tried to put her into water instead of having her standing in the basking area all the time, she begun to swim and I noticed that she opens her eyes underwater and when above the water she closes them again, also she wiped her eyes again and again while underwater.

Btw, the shell seems a little more stronger than yesterday.

The other turtle is noticeably bigger now.

How long can she survive without food? Anyway to force her to eat ?

[amaksoud]

Update:

Today i was planning to move them in the sunlight but when I saw her, the eyes were closed and covered by a white membrane.....I pushed her to water and she started wiping this membrane and opened her eyes.

I put her in sunlight for about an hour, during which she kept her eyes open almost all the time.

After I returned her back to the tank, I noticed that the eyes are more open than usual.

I also noticed that she is doing some strange move for the last couple of days.

She gets on the basking spot, pushes her head out of the shell to the max and in up position then opens her mouth widely fro a couple of times.

Sometimes while doing this she raises her front left leg as well, as much as she can, she even flipped on her back once because of this leg move.

I really don't know what is she trying to do.

Here's a pic while she was trying to make this strange move but in a less aggressive way than normal, may be she was afraid of me and the camera.



She still doesn't eat at all.
Again, is there anyway to force her to eat ?

One last thing about the feeding frequency.....on what basis should I feed them ?

I also got the cod liver oil today, but didn't apply it yet.
Any suggestions for that ? like, time of day (morning, night), how many times a day ?

[amaksoud]

Just when it seemed that she's getting better, she passed away yesterday evening

I would appreciate your answers to my questions in order to safe keep the other one.

And thanks for your help.

[Kirkie]

Sorry to hear this.*

The stretching the neck out and gaping is symptomatic of a serious respiratory infection.*

For the remaing turtle(s) the same applies. Good quality heat and light, clean water. *Feeding frequency; I'd be feeding a turtle that size every day. A good rule of thumb is an amount of food equal to the size of the turtles head. You can offer as much green food such as pond plants as you like.